A TWD Date
by shulesaddict77
Summary: Jess couldn't be a big girl. She couldn't watch it alone. She needed to find a way to convince him to watch it with her.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a short, fluffy one-shot written for childofwolf. She asked if I could write it and as you can see my muse was cooperative. It's set sometime after the Fluffers episode. So here it is. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them! Unfortunately!**

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"Oh, good. You're here. It's about time." Jess exclaimed the moment Nick walked through the door. She grabbed him and dragged him over to the couch, pushing him down. He was still wearing his jacket and shoes. She didn't even let him take them off.

"What … what is this all about?" Nick asked stunned, his gaze falling on the couch table and his eyes widened in surprise. The whole table was covered with Halloween candy and chips of all varieties and several bottles of his favorite beer were sitting in a bowl filled with ice cubes.

"Give me your jacket. I'll put it away for you." Nick looked at her bewildered but she was just standing in front of him with her hands stretched out and he took off the jacket and handed it to her, watching her as she rushed to the coat rack and rushed back, dropping on her knees in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, completely at a loss now.

"Just making it comfortable for you." Jess replied as she slipped his shoes from his feet. He was accustomed to Jess acting weird but this was definitely on the top of the scale. From one to ten this was definitely an eight at least.

Nick leaned forward and grabbed her by her arms so that she stopped shuffling around for a second and looked at him. "Jess, what's wrong?

"It's Monday." Jess said matter-of-factly and Nick furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Yes, I know."

"And yesterday was Sunday."

"Yes, Monday usually follows Sunday." Nick said, afraid that she had completely lost her mind now. "What are you trying to get at?"

Jess raised her hands and pulled his away from her arms so that she could stand up and walk over to her self-made cooler. Grabbing a beer out of it, she held it in his direction. "Here, your beer."

"What did you do?" Nick suddenly asked suspiciously. She had to have gone to such trouble preparing all of this for some reason.

"What do you mean?" Jess asked, the innocent expression on her face not fooling anyone.

"This looks like you want to apologize for something." Nick said, gesturing towards the full table. "But I have no clue what you want to apologize for."

"It's not an apology. I didn't do anything."

"If it's not an apology … what is this then?"

"A bribe." Jess admitted, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I know I'm a big girl but ..." Jess trailed off, kneading her hands nervously in front of her body, refusing to look at him. Nick stared at her for a few seconds until the penny finally dropped.

"Oh!" Nick started to grin. "Yesterday was _Sunday_."

"Yes, Sunday." Jess said quietly, looking up at him expectantly.

"You want me to watch it with you."

"I don't want to watch it alone."

"Okay, Jessica." Nick said, smiling broadly before he patted the couch beside him. "The bribe worked. Start the DVR."

"You are gonna watch it with me?" Jess asked, almost unbelievingly.

"Yes, Jess. I'm gonna watch it with you."

With a big smile on her face she plopped down on the couch beside him and grabbed the remote to start the episode.

~N&J~

"Jess, you are leaving marks."

"What?"

"Would you please ease up on my arm? I think you cut of the circulation already." Nick asked, pulling her hand away from his arm, rubbing over the half-moons her nails had dug into his skin.

"Sorry!" Jess said apologetically, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them close to her body as she stared wide-eyed at the screen. A few seconds later her arm shot towards him again and she grabbed his thigh almost painfully.

"Okay, that's not gonna work." Nick sighed, leaning forward to grab the remote to hit the pause button.

"What? Why did you pause?" Jess' head swirled towards him, looking at him accusingly. "You can't leave me now. We have to watch it to the end."

Nick stood up and walked to the other side of her, sitting down so that he was sitting directly in front of the screen. Propping his feet up on the table, he stretched out an arm over the back of the couch and patted his chest. "Come here."

Jess cocked her head, worrying her lip thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

"It's not a date, Jess." Nick said, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "It's just a friends thing. So come here."

"It's kind of a date." Jess replied as she scooted closer and laid her head on his chest, stretching her legs out on the couch. "A TWD date."

"Then let's have a TWD date." Nick said, bringing his arm down to put it lightly on her back and Jess snuggled deeper into him, her arms going around his body, clutching him tightly and Nick had to grin. "Including my strong arms protecting you from the evil, evil zombies."

"Okay." Jess mumbled against his shirt and Nick reached for the remote. "Ready?"

"Ready." Her small voice drifted up and Nick hit the pause button again.

He had to admit it felt kind of weird to have her in his arms, to be so close to her. But at the same time it felt just right. Strangely he didn't feel aroused, he felt comfortable. It felt also good to hold her in his arms while she was flinching constantly, muttering sounds of disgust and burying her face in his chest every time the really gross stuff flickered over the screen. Yes, it definitely felt right.

This was so much better. Watching it while her head was lying on his chest. His arm wrapped around her made it so much easier to watch it. She had to admit it felt nice to feel his hand against the small of her back, to hear his heart beat under her ear. Yes, she definitely liked watching 'The Walking Dead' like this.

~N&J~

As the end credits rolled over the screen, Nick shifted slightly and suddenly laughter bubbled up in his chest.

Jess leaned back and looked up at him surprised. "Why are you chuckling?"

"This reminds me of when I was sixteen and took a girl to see a horror movie hoping she would seek comfort in my arms so that I could grope her a little bit."

"Nicholas Miller, how devious?" Jess smiled, pushing herself up, slipping reluctantly out of his embrace and sitting up beside him.

"I was sixteen, Jess! I had only one thing on my mind."

"Did it work?" Jess asked.

"No, not really."

"She was missing out." Jess said quietly and Nick raised one eyebrow in surprise. Jess gave him a soft smile and put her hand on his arm, squeezing it slightly. "Your arms are a good place to be when you're scared."

"They are?" Nick asked, feeling the mood shift. They were getting close to dangerous territory, he could feel the air crackling with the first signs of the undeniable attraction that always lingered at the edge. He locked eyes with her and for a few seconds they only stared at each other, not being able to say anything before Jess averted her gaze and cleared her throat.

"Yes, they are." She replied, standing up quickly to step to the other side of the couch. She didn't know why she had said it. Of course it was true but saying it out loud only complicated things. Wanting to escape the suddenly tense situation, she looked up at him and said. "Thanks for watching 'The Walking Dead' with me, Nick."

"Anytime, Jess. Anytime." Nick smiled and seeing him sitting on the couch all handsome in his slightly disheveled state, Jess opened her mouth without thinking it through and asked the question she shouldn't probably ask. "So, see you next Monday?"

Nick stared at her for a few seconds before a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he said quietly. "It's a date. A TWD date."

"Yes, a TWD date." Jess replied, turning around to walk to her room, a silly smile spreading out on her face. She couldn't wait until it was Monday again.

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**I just realized TWD is coming back tonight. So Nick and Jess have something to watch together again. :-) Oh no, my muse is already raising her head. Damn! Yeah, I might probably add some chapters to this story at some point. **


	2. Chapter 2

**After writing so much angst lately I needed a break, so you'll get some fluffy Nick/Jess interaction. :-)**

**Just FYI, I'm mentioning events of the 3x09 ep of TWD in this chapter. **

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**Chapter 2**

Nick hadn't mentioned the date all week and it actually felt weird to call it a date. Even if they were calling it a TWD date and the whole calling it a date was actually just a joke. It might not be a real date but she was still looking forward to spending time with him. So when he walked into the kitchen Monday morning, Jess couldn't help asking. "Are we still on for tonight?"

"Our TWD date?" Nick asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee and taking a sip before he turned around to face her, leaning nonchalantly against the kitchen counter. Studying her for a few seconds, a smile appeared on his face as he saw her staring at him wide-eyed, worrying her lip nervously. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one enjoying their time together. "Sure."

Hiding his grin behind the cup, he watched her jumping down from the stool. "Then I better buy some groceries. We don't wanna starve tonight."

"Of course not." Nick replied, asking himself how it was possible that he was looking forward to this 'fake' date with Jess more than if it was an actual date with the prospect of getting laid. Something was seriously wrong with him. Since when did it become more important to him to have a platonic relationship with his roommate than having sex?

~N&J~

"What are you two doing?" Schmidt stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the loft and his gaze fell on his two roommates, sitting on the couch way too cozy for his taste.

"Watching 'The Walking Dead'?" Nick replied calmly. One look at Schmidt told him that his best friend would freak out any second. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, I didn't mean what you are watching." Schmidt said, his voice dangerously low. "I mean ... WHAT ... ARE ... YOU ... DOING?" His voice was laced with disbelief as he gestured between Nick and Jess. "Why are you two cuddling like this? Did I miss something?" He asked confused, suddenly taking in a sharp breath. "Are you two ... don't tell me you two … you violated the rules?"

"No, Schmidt." Nick said quickly before Schmidt would start to hyperventilate. "We didn't break any loft rules. You know how scared Jess gets when she watches it alone."

"Yeah, I know." Schmidt replied. "But that doesn't explain why she is plastered against your chest and your arms are wrapped around her."

"It's just self preservation." Nick sighed, knowing that Schmidt wouldn't believe them no matter what they would tell him.

"What?" Schmidt asked bewildered.

"The last time we watched it I grabbed his arm so tightly that I left bruises." Jess explained. "Nick just thought that this might help and he was right. It helps."

"Yeah, you two are just gonna tell yourself that." Schmidt stated, huffing out a frustrated breath. "But don't ask me for help when it comes to picking up the pieces afterwards."

Nick and Jess looked after him until he disappeared behind the door to his room before Jess snuggled back into his arms as if nothing had happened. She would not let Schmidt ruin these evenings with Nick and Nick seemed to be of the same opinion because he didn't address the whole interruption and just said. "Ready?"

"Ready." Jess replied, tightening her arms around his waist and shifting her head until she found the most comfortable position on his chest. Nick smiled softly, his hand finding his traditional place at the small of her back, his fingers grazing her waist before he grabbed the remote and pressed the play button.

~N&J~

"You do realize that we don't have to watch the commercials. We can fast-forward."

"But then we have no time to talk about what had happened." Jess tried to explain, not bothering to raise her head from his chest.

"Do me a favor, Jess, and fast-forward." Nick shook his head in disbelief about the ridiculousness of her statement. There was no need to dissect the whole episode but he knew Jess loved to talk about it. "We can talk afterwards. Okay?"

"Okay."

The moment the episode ended, Jess sat up and his arm slipped from her back. But she didn't scoot away but stayed pressed against him as she started to speak, her hands flying through the air to emphasize her point.

"I can't believe Rick let Daryl just go. How can he do this? I thought they were friends. He can't just send him away only because he doesn't want to leave his brother behind. Of course he won't leave him. They are family." Nick opened his mouth to say something but Jess continued to ramble and he enjoyed it way too much to watch her to try to interrupt her again. "And ugh, when Glenn was stomping the head of the zombie into the ground ... that was disgusting. Imagine all this zombie blood on your boots, not to mention the brain matter. Zombies still have brain matter, don't they? Because their brains are actually dead, right? What doesn't make it any less gross when their blood spills all over the screen, I guess."

"How would you know?" Nick managed to throw in, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You didn't see how Glenn stomped on the zombie's head. Your face was buried in my shoulder."

"But I heard the sickening sounds of him stomping his foot through his head." Jess argued, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I still don't understand why you are watching it when you can't look at the gross stuff."

"First off, I really like the story. Humans fighting for survival. Not knowing who they can trust. Watching the disaster bring out the best and the worst in people." Jess explained. "Second, the zombie make-up is very good."

"That's it?" Nick asked.

"No. The third and maybe most important reason is ..." Jess trailed off and Nick wondered why her cheeks had suddenly turned bright red.

"I'm dying to know what _that_ reason is." Nick stated.

"Rick is hot." Jess whispered reluctantly as if she was ashamed to admit it.

"What?" Nick sputtered almost choking on his beer as he looked up at her face, a smirk appearing on her face as she saw the slight shock on his face.

"Oh come on. Of course he is. All sweaty and dirty." Jess said dreamily.

"That turns you on?" Nick asked in utter disbelief. "Imagine how he must stink."

"Well, I guess he would smell awful. But still … it's just something about him wearing a sweat-stained shirt, his locks curling under the blazing sun, his face covered with this gorgeous scruff."

"God, I will never understand you women." Nick growled, letting his head drop back on the couch, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"That's the point, isn't it?" Jess said and Nick opened one eye, looking at her questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"Most of the times I don't have a clue how your brains are working either. But isn't that what makes it interesting? If we would act similar it would get boring pretty quickly, wouldn't it?"

"Okay, how did we get from Glenn stomping on a zombie's head to this topic of conversation again?" Nick straightened himself, propping his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hand over his face. This conversation had certainly taken a weird turn.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable, Nicholas?" He could hear the amusement in her voice and he looked up, rolling his eyes at her. "No, of course not, _Jessica_. Why should I?"

"Well, because I know one thing for certain." Jess retorted.

"And what thing would that be?" Nick asked slowly, afraid about what would come out of her mouth next.

"Men are definitely thinking more with their little brains than their big brains."

"Little brains?" Nick groaned. "Okay, this conversation is getting weird."

"We women might not understand why you are doing what you are doing most of the times but we are still at an advantage."

"How so?"

"Men are way easier to seduce." Jess elaborated, a mischievous grin adorning her face.

"Are you sure? Because if I recall it correctly you got turned on by me letting nuts talk to each other."

"Every once in a while even I have a weak moment." Jess said, letting out a deep sigh.

"Just a moment ago you drooled all over Andrew Lincoln." Nick said accusingly, pointing out that he considered drooling also a weak moment.

"I can't help it." Jess said defeated. "It's the scruff. Major turn-on."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Kind of pathetic when I think about it. I mean being turned on by a man only because he has a scruff." Jess admitted, furrowing her brows as she looked up and saw Nick grinning from ear to ear. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"No real reason." Nick replied and Jess wondered if it didn't hurt him to grin like that. She thought about what she just told him to figure out what she had said to put that grin on his face and her eyes widened in shock as she realized that she'd just given him a great instrument to torture her.

"Shit." Jess groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You're gonna use that against me, won't you?"

"You can bet I will." Nick replied, a chuckle rumbling deep in his chest.

"Who says I wanna be turned on by you?" Jess looked up, punching her finger in his chest.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you really want, does it?" Nick said.

"Care to explain that ridiculous comment?" Jess huffed.

"You won't have to have a say in the matter if I'm just too lazy to shave every once in a while, will you?" Nick replied, enjoying to tease her way too much.

"God, telling you this was a big mistake. A HUGE mistake."

"Crying over spilled milk is futile."

"I guess it is." Jess said, jumping up from the couch. "So I'm just gonna go to my room and try to forget this conversation ever happened and when I'll walk out of my room tomorrow and see you, I'll hope you've decided to shave and we can both forget we've ever had this conversation."

"Because we are roommates?" Nick asked, suddenly realizing that they were treading on dangerous territory again. He had no idea how they always managed to end up at the proverbial line they should never cross. He never had any intention to even come near that line but it happened more often than he cared to admit.

"Yes, Nick." Jess replied calmly, wishing she hadn't brought up the topic at all. "Because we are roommates and I really hope you are not gonna take advantage of it."

Jess turned around and walked to her room just to be stopped by his voice before she could disappear around the corner. "Jess?"

"Yeah?" Jess said, turning around slowly, afraid of his next words, afraid he would step over the line. But what scared her the most was that she wasn't sure if she didn't want him to step over it.

"See you next Monday?" Almost releasing a breath of relief upon hearing his innocent question, Jess smiled, deciding that taking it lightly was probably the best approach to take away any awkwardness. "If you behave over the week I might wanna watch it with you."

"So I'll have to shave every day?" Nick asked with utter disbelief in his voice.

"If you want to have another TWD date you better shave twice a day. If I even see a five o'clock shadow the date is off. Do you understand?"

"Loud and clear, Mrs. Day." Nick said, his mouth twitching up in a lopsided grin.

"Good." Jess replied, turning around to walk to her room, a smile playing across her face. This whole TWD dating was a lot more fun than she'd expected.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews! They always put a smile on my face. :-)**

**FYI, this chapter mentions events from the 3x10 ep of TWD, but only in passing.**

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**Chapter 3**

"Bathroom. Shave." Jess said curtly after only looking at him for a brief moment as Nick entered the loft.

"This is torture." Nick grumbled but turned around and walked towards the bathroom, wondering why he was actually doing her bidding. But he kind of enjoyed the game they were apparently playing and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stepped into the bathroom to shave. His skin was killing him but he really didn't want to find out if she would truly make good on her promise and would stop their TWD dates if he would refuse to shave.

"What is going on here?" Schmidt asked incredulously, his eyes snapping to Jess.

"What?" Jess asked absentmindedly, engrossed in the magazine she was reading.

"What is this all about?" Schmidt's voice rose slightly and Jess looked up, saying nonchalantly. "Nothing."

"Don't tell me ... you aren't sore are you ... I mean you didn't ... he hasn't ... you know, you don't have scruff burns at ... down there?" Schmidt stuttered, waving his hand over his lap, his eyes flickering to her midsection for a second before returning to her face, giving her an accusing glare.

"Aehhh, no, Schmidt." Jess exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Jar."

"Hey, you are the ones who are being all touchy-feely on the couch every Monday." Schmidt mumbled as he stood up and jammed a bill in the jar before he walked to the bathroom to grill his best friend.

Leaning against the doorframe, Schmidt folded his arms over his chest, searching Nick's eyes in the mirror. Slipping the razor down his cheek, Nick almost laughed out loud when he saw the annoyed expression on Schmidt's face. His best friend was such an easy mark. Without letting himself be distracted by the death stares his roommate was throwing him through the mirror he continued to shave, waiting for Schmidt to break the silence.

"I just put twenty dollars in the jar because Jess ordered you to shave and I assumed she wanted you clean-shaven to give her lady parts the maximum pleasure."

"Schmidt!" Nick swirled around, glad that he'd finished shaving a second ago because he would have probably cut himself upon hearing Schmidt's comment. "I can't believe you actually said that to her. What's wrong with you, man?"

"I already put money in the jar and I don't know why exactly. It's not that far fetched." Schmidt replied, slightly offended. "You shave twice a day, Nick. Care to explain that. Because I'm not letting you out of the bathroom until you've given me an explanation."

Nick removed the rest of the shaving foam from his face and grabbed his aftershave and splashed some on his cheeks, hissing quietly at the inevitable burning sensation. There was a reason why he didn't shave regularly.

"It's kind of a dare." Nick finally turned around to face Schmidt, knowing that he wouldn't back down until he'd found out what caused the unusual divergence from his shaving routine.

"What dare?"

"She told me I need to shave every day in order to watch TWD with her."

"You shave twice a day because she won't watch 'The Walking Dead' with you if you don't?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"And you don't see what's wrong with that?" Schmidt asked, completely baffled.

"It's not a big deal, Schmidt."

"You two are unbelievable. I don't even … I don't know what to say." Schmidt stated, shaking his head. "I'm just gonna leave you to your reluctance of facing the impending doom."

"Impending doom?" Nick replied disbelievingly. "You're insane." But Schmidt had already stomped out of the room and Nick decided to just shrug it off as one of Schmidt's ridiculous outbursts, not willing to look at it any closer out of fear of finding some truth in his words.

~N&J~

"So, you basically told him that he is hot." Cece said matter-of-factly, slumping down on the couch beside Jess, handing her a glass of her favorite pink wine.

"No, I didn't." Jess argued, taking a sip from the cool liquid before she put the glass on the table in front of her.

"Of course you did." Cece replied. "And I know you do."

"Huh?"

"I know you find him hot." Cece clarified.

"I don't find him hot." Jess persisted.

"But his scruff turns you on."

"God, this was really the biggest mistake of my life." Jess buried her face in her hands and let out a deep groan. "I shouldn't have said anything to either of you."

"I didn't need to hear it."

"What do you mean?" Jess peeked through her fingers, curious what Cece was talking about.

"How long are we best friends now, Jess?"

"A very long time." Jess replied as she straightened herself, her hands dropping into her lap.

"Exactly." Cece stated. "I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who can see it, but your eyes are giving you away."

"My eyes?" Jess asked confused.

"I can see the flicker of desire in them every time he walks into a room without a clean-shaved face."

"There is no desire."

"Why don't you just get it over with?"

"What?" Jess croaked, not trusting her ears. There was no way that Cece was suggesting that she should jump him. No freaking way.

"The attraction is obviously mutual and sneaking around the issue won't make it go away."

"There is no issue." Jess replied with a squeaky voice and clearing her throat, she stated calmly. "We are roommates, Cece. We are just friends."

"Of course. Only friends."

"Save the sarcasm, Cece." Jess snapped. "There is nothing going on between Nick and me."

"Except for TWD dates every Monday."

"Yeah, except for that." Jess nodded affirmatively, furrowing her brows when she saw the knowing smile on Cece's face. "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Good." Jess huffed. "Because there is nothing to say."

~N&J~

"Are you crying?" Nick asked incredulously after hearing a telltale sniffle coming from her as the end credits rolled over the screen and she was still pressed against his chest.

"Noooo." Jess replied hastily, scrambling backwards, turning her head to wipe away the tear that had slipped out of her eye. "Of course not."

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying." Jess insisted.

"Jessica?"

"Nicholas?" Jess replied, not willing to admit it. But when he only arched an eyebrow and gave her a mocking grin, she folded. "Okay, I might have shed a tear."

"Why?"

"Because Rick misses Laurie so much."

"You're such a hopeless romantic."

"At least Daryl is back. Rick needs all the help he can get." Jess said.

"You are way too invested in this show."

"What?" Jess snapped, slightly peeved. "I'm not hurting anyone."

"Apropos hurt." Nick replied, changing the subject completely. "Is there the slightest chance that you are willing to loosen the reigns?"

"Loosening the reigns?" Jess asked confused. "What reigns?"

"I don't know how long my skin is gonna tolerate the twice a day shaving. Can we find a compromise?" Nick asked with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Maybe probably only …"

She took him completely by surprise as she leaned forward to press a finger over his lips. "I want it back." Jess said quietly and Nick's mouth curled up into a grin under her finger as she admitted. "I miss the scruff."

"You do?" Nick's grin broadened even further and Jess chuckled slightly. "Yes, I do."

She didn't know what suddenly possessed her as she brushed her finger over his lips, trailing it along his cheek, her voice taking on a slightly husky tone as she whispered. "I really do."

Nick's breath caught in his throat, his eyes locking on hers. Just one minute ago they were joking about her crying over the fate of fictional characters and now the tension between them was so palpable that you could cut it with a knife. Without even realizing what he was doing he leaned forward. But before his eyes fell shut he could see hers widen in shock and she jumped to her feet, almost knocking the table over in frantic hurry.

"I have an early start tomorrow. I'll better catch some sleep." Jess said hastily, rushing towards her room. "Goodnight, Nick."

Nick was sitting stock still on the couch, staring at the corner she'd just disappeared around. Shaking his head, he raised his hand and rubbed it over his face. At least he could stop shaving every day. But suddenly it hit him that she hadn't said anything about next Monday. He really hoped that he hadn't ruined everything by trying to kiss her. He didn't even know what had gotten into him but he didn't want their TWD dates to stop. Somehow he had to figure out a way to make her forget that he'd almost kissed her.


	4. Chapter 4

**First off, thanks for all the lovely reviews! Let me give you all a hug! :-)**

**Second, I know it's been forever and I'm sorry. But here I am with a new chapter because I'm drowning in Ness feels since I saw the promo and I took advantage of all the feels and wrote the next chapter. This is a tad angsty but apparently the feels got the better of me. Sorry, but when the feels get a grip of me my writing always seems to turn a little angsty. There is nothing I can do about it.**

**I hope you like it!**

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**Chapter 4**

Cece could only open the door a few inches before Jess shoved it into her face, making her stumble backwards.

"This is all your fault." Jess huffed, turning around and pointing an accusing finger at her best friend. "You put the idea in my head. How could you?"

"Jess, it's six o'clock in the morning and my brain is still sleeping so would you help me out here?" Cece asked, suppressing a yawn. "Because I have no clue what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about one Nicholas Miller." Jess snapped. "You know, my roommate who should stay my roommate and only my roommate because that's all he is. My roommate. He'd never been more than my roommate."

"Wow, why are you emphasizing the word roommate like that?"

"Everything was fine. We had a deal. Never to make a big deal of it."

"Big deal of what?"

"The attraction." Jess huffed, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she saw Cece's mouth tilting up into a smirk. "Don't say anything. I'm still mad at you. Because you and your whole 'You find him hot and just get it over with' talk are to blame that I can't look at him as only my roommate anymore. We had something good. I loved our TWD dates. I loved spending time with him and now everything is ruined. You ruined everything."

"Whooah, hold your horses. I didn't do anything."

"You planted the idea in my head." Jess almost whined.

"What happened?" Cece asked quietly, pulling her best friend towards the couch.

"He almost kissed me." Jess slumped down on the couch, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We almost kissed."

"Did you want to kiss him?"

"No, of course not." Jess exclaimed. "That would be a horrible idea. HORRIBLE!"

"So that's a yes." Cece stated.

"I didn't say that." Jess replied angrily, jumping up from the couch and rushing towards the kitchen. "I said quite the opposite."

"You said no but what you've meant was yes." Cece said, watching her friend as she yanked several cupboards open, just to slam them shut almost immediately. "What are you looking for?"

"Where is the Tequila?"

"Jess, it's six o'clock in the morning."

"I don't care. I need a shot." Jess replied, letting out a loud 'Hooray' when she finally found the bottle and pulling out two shot glasses from another cupboard, she hurried back to the couch, filling both glasses almost to the brim before she pushed one in front of Cece.

Cece eyed the shot glass warily, her stomach flipping only with the thought of downing it. But Jess was her best friend, she needed to be supportive. Even if it meant taking a shot of Tequila at six o'clock in the morning.

Sighing hard, she reached for the glass before she turned around to Jess and clinked her glass against hers, wrinkling her nose when she brought the glass to her mouth. This was disgusting. But she just held her breath and downed the glass, shuddering when the alcohol burnt its way down her esophagus.

"What are you gonna do now?" Cece asked slightly breathless, hoping she didn't need to throw up as the alcohol hit her empty stomach.

"I'm gonna pretend nothing happened." Jess replied, slamming the shot glass on the table before she jumped up from the couch and rushed out of the apartment.

"As if that would ever work." Cece said quietly into the now empty apartment. She definitely would have to have a talk with Nick down the road. Because he needed to know that if he would ever hurt Jess she would bring hell on earth to him.

~N&J~

Nick didn't even have to make her forget that they'd almost kissed because when he'd seen her the next day she had acted like always. She had acted as if nothing had happened.

A huge part of him was relieved that nothing had changed but a small part of him had felt regret. For a moment he'd wanted to just haul her into his arms and kiss her senseless. For a moment he'd wanted to show her that something actually had changed and it hadn't been one-sided. He was absolutely certain that she had also felt it.

But she was probably right. Pretending that nothing had happened was the wisest idea. Because what she had said to him while he had been building the dresser for her was true for him too. She was way too important to him to ruin everything by kissing her. They'd agreed on not making a big deal out of it and he should just stick to it. She was one of his best friends and he would not screw this up.

~N&J~

He still feared that the almost kiss might have consequences, so when his shift changed and he had to work on Monday night he dreaded to tell her. He didn't want her to think that he was avoiding her.

Standing in front of the kitchen counter, he watched her cleaning dishes, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his pants. He waited until she turned her back on him before he started to talk.

"Jess, I need to cancel."

"What?" Jess swirled around, her wet hands dripping onto the floor as she stared wide-eyed at him. "You're canceling our TWD date?"

"Yes." Nick said, adding quickly. "I have to work, Jess."

"Oh." Jess replied, turning back to the sink, burying her hands in the water again. "Yeah, of course."

Nick ignored the relief that washed over him as he saw her obvious disappointment. "What about tomorrow? Can you wait one day? We can watch it tomorrow."

Jess tilted her head as if she was thinking about it before she turned half-around to him, shooting him a soft smile. "Tomorrow then."

~N&J~

But the next day Jess was lying on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her, a hot water bottle pressed against her stomach. If she wanted to get pregnant the regularity of her period might be of advantage but since that was not the case she'd wanted to throw the book she had been reading through the window as she had felt the first tugs of the cramps coming on earlier today.

Why now? Why today?

She wanted to get back into their routine. She wanted to erase the memory of the almost kiss with another evening spent on the couch watching 'The Walking Dead' with him without anything happening.

But it didn't look like it would happen. Because he was crouching in front of the couch, one of his fingers brushing tentatively a strand of hair away from her face as he said quietly. "We should postpone it. You are not feeling well. Watching brain matter get splashed all over the screen might be not a very splendid idea right now."

She looked up into his eyes, filled with warm sympathy, and without thinking about it, she lifted her hand and put it over his.

"Stay." She whispered softly. "Just … could you please stay with me? I need a distraction from the pain and I think brain matter splashing all over the screen might do the trick."

"Okay." Nick replied quietly. "If you want to, we can watch it."

He straightened himself and went to the other couch but Jess didn't want him so far away. She was whiny and miserable and she just wanted him near her.

"No."

Nick turned around, looking at her questioningly. "No? You don't want to watch it? I can leave you ..."

"No!" Jess blurted out, stopping him in mid-sentence and without saying anything she scooted forward, making room for him behind her. "Can you … maybe if it's not too much to ask. I still want to be in your arms while watching it and since I can't sit up without making the cramps worse, maybe ..."

Jess trailed off, staring up at him. What was she doing? She'd just invited him to spoon her. Was she crazy? Just one week ago they'd almost kissed and now she had actually asked him to press his body against hers? Something was seriously wrong with her.

"Aehmm, I don't know if that's such a ..."

"Nick, please."

It must be the hormones. There was no other explanation. Because she was practically begging him to spoon her. Yes, she would just blame it on the hormones. No woman could be held responsible for her actions while suffering through her period. It wasn't as if she had invited him into her bed to have hot and passionate sex.

Okay, that was plain wrong. She shouldn't think about Nick and passionate sex in the same sentence. She needed to get a grip. She was her roommate. Nothing more. A small voice in her head kept shouting at her that you didn't ask your male roommate to spoon you but she just ignored it. She couldn't take her request back now. He would probably refuse anyway.

Nick was standing in front of the couch, completely in shock about her request. Did she just invite him to spoon her? He should give her a mumbled apology and turn around and leave. Because there was no way he could join her on the couch like that. No way.

"Okay." Nick froze as the word came out of his mouth. Was he insane? But like he was in some kind of trance he slipped out of his shoes and crawled onto the couch behind her. The couch was actually too small for two people and he had to wrap his arm around her and pull her into his body so that she wouldn't tumble down.

He could hear her sighing softly as she snuggled deeper into his embrace and her hand reached for his, her fingers intertwining with his and Nick's heart skipped a beat, the intimacy of the situation overwhelming him a little bit.

Here he was. His arm wrapped around her, his body pressed as close as possible against her and he wondered how he should ever be able to keep himself from wanting more from her. Because he might be able to fool her but he wasn't able to fool himself. She wasn't only his roommate and friend. He wanted her. He wanted to be more than her friend.

But even if it would kill him, he would not let his feelings ruin what they had together. She didn't want more and he would be satisfied with what she could give him. Even if he could never be more than her friend.

~N&J~

The next Mondays were always going down the same way. They always started out in a sitting position but half way through the episode, at the latest, they were lying on the couch, his arm wrapped firmly around her. They never talked about it. They just acted as if it was the most normal thing to lay all cuddled up on the couch together.

It was getting harder and harder from week to week to not act on his feelings. But Nick had promised himself he would not screw this up. He didn't know what this was because clearly it was not a normal behavior for two people who were only friends. It was way too intimate.

But as hard as it was he wouldn't want to miss out on it. It might be masochistic but having her in his arms once a week was the only thing that kept him sane. But there were moments during the week were he just looked at her while she was telling some story, her hands flying through the air, and his heart clenched in his chest.

Some day he had to do something about it. Some day he had to make a decision. Some day he might have to leave the loft because it would get too hard to see her every day. But right now he was still able to deal with the pain. The pain of seeing her every day but not being able to touch her except on Monday evenings.

~N&J~

Waking up with a start, Nick needed a few seconds until he realized where he was. He was lying on the couch, Jess' body pressed against his. Apparently they had fallen asleep sometime while watching a movie together. Because their TWD dates had extended immensely. They weren't only watching the show anymore. They always watched at least one movie afterwards as if they didn't want to end their 'date' after only an hour.

It was weird. The whole not talking about it. But Nick was too afraid that talking about it would make her retreat and he was not willing to risk that. Turning his head around slowly, he looked at her lying in his arms. He could hardly make out her features in the darkness but he didn't need to. He knew exactly how she looked like and probably not seeing her clearly was for the best because he didn't know what he would do if he would see her face.

His hand rose on its own volition and his fingers combed through her hair carefully before he shifted and brought his lips to her forehead, pressing a soft kiss against it. Leaning back, he laid his head back on the pillow and watched her face until his eyes fell shut and he drifted off to sleep.

Two hours later he woke up again, hearing her door click shut. She was gone and somehow the empty place beside him on the couch made his heart ache. It would always be like this. He would always only have those stolen moments with her and he didn't know how long he would be able to take it.

~N&J~

"Don't go, Jess." Nick mumbled hoarsely. "You're always taking the whole warmth with you. Stay."

His arm tightened around her and Jess hesitated for a second before she slipped back into his arms, closing her eyes. But sleep didn't come immediately. She heard his breath even out and she opened her eyes slowly, watching him sleep. Moonlight was streaming through the windows, highlighting his face and she couldn't help to lift her hand and trail her fingers over his scruff.

She wondered if he always looked that way when he was sleeping or if it could be that he felt the same way than she. She never felt more rested as when she woke up in his arms. The couch wasn't the least comfortable, especially not when they shared it together but sleeping in his arms made her feel as if she was right where she belonged.

This thing, whatever it was, between Nick and her was becoming more and more complicated from week to week. She knew they should stop. She knew they couldn't go on like this forever. But she was weak. She just couldn't let go off their TWD dates.

She needed them. She needed them desperately. Because these dates were the only times she could touch him. She didn't question it. She'd stopped questioning the need to touch him weeks ago. Something had changed. Something had changed the moment he'd leaned in with the intent to kiss her. Maybe even before that. Maybe even when they had started with the whole TWD dates.

She lifted her hand, her fingers hovering over his lips and the urge to touch his lips was almost suffocating her. Biting down on her lips, tears shot into her eyes as she studied his face. She was screwed. Because sometime over the last weeks she'd fallen in love with him.

Gulping down the sob that was rising up in her throat, she leaned into his body, burying her face in his chest, inhaling his scent and a lonely tear trailed down her cheek, a tear she couldn't stop from falling.

She loved him. She was in love with Nick Miller.

But instead of standing up and getting the hell out of the room, instead of trying to bring some distance between them to protect her heart, she just snuggled deeper into his arms, his scent enveloping her as she drifted off to sleep.

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**Aehm, I think it turned out a little bit more angsty but well ... like I said ... I blame the feels.**

**Okay, roomfriends. I hope you enjoyed it despite the angst. At least writing this chapter distracted me from the excruciating wait. Because I might die of anticipation before Tuesday. :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**The response to this story is really overwhelming. Thank you so much, everyone!**

**Since my other OTP (yes, I have two) is going to have scenes together again tonight, after I don't know how long, I needed a distraction because alone the thought of having them on my screen again together, breathing the same air, gives me heart palpitations. So you get this chapter. I'm sure you don't mind. ;-) **

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**Chapter 5**

"I have a serious problem."

Cece's look fell on the clock. At least this time it was evening. A way more appropriate time to have Tequila shots. Jess almost ran her over as she rushed into her apartment and Cece just shrugged her shoulders and went into the kitchen, pulling out the Tequila bottle and two shot glasses before she joined Jess on the couch. Pouring them both one shot, she pushed the glass in Jess' hand and she gulped it down without any question, holding it out immediately for Cece to fill it again.

After the second shot had found its way into their stomachs, Cece turned around to Jess, dropping her hand on her best friend's shoulder and squeezing it slightly before she said quietly. "You are in love with Nick."

"What?" Jess startled, her eyes widening in shock and she stumbled. "How do you …? I'm not … why do you think ... Never mind. Just give me another one."

"So I'm right, aren't I?" Cece said softly and Jess just looked at her, a frightened expression crossing her face. "Oh my, Jess."

Jess just scooted over and leaned her head against Cece's shoulder, her eyes filling with tears and she bit her tongue, inhaling a shuddering breath before she whispered. "It scares the crap out of me, Cece."

"Why? It's Nick. After all, you know him already. There won't be any surprises. You already know all his quirks."

"That's what scares me the most."

"What do you mean?"

"What if we give it a try and we don't work out? What then? I can't lose him, Cece. I can't." Her lips began to quiver and she balled her hands into fists, her voice hoarse with emotions as she continued. "I can't lose him as a friend, Cece. I can't live without him in my life. I just ..."

Cece wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into an embrace and Jess just gave up the fight against the tears and started to cry, sobs wracking her body as she repeated over and over again. "I can't lose him. I can't lose him."

Cece gave her the time she needed to calm down before she leaned back and looked down at the tear-stained face of her best friend. "Maybe you should put a stop to your TWD dates? It might make the whole situation a little bit easier. Don't you think?"

"It probably would. But ..." Jess said quietly. "I know it's masochistic but I can't give them up. Not yet. I … being in his arms … I don't know what to do, Cece. I want him so much but I'm so scared of losing him."

"You need to make a decision, Jess." Cece stated calmly. "And soon."

"I know. But not just yet."

~N&J~

"Nick, we have to talk?"

"Sure. What's up, Schmidt?" Nick replied, setting his laptop aside and folding his arms over his chest, he waited for Schmidt to elaborate.

"We need to talk about the roommate agreement."

Nick groaned loudly, stating exasperatedly. "Jess and I didn't violate any rules, Schmidt. Would you just stop pestering us? There is nothing going on between Jess and me."

"How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?"

"Lying to your best friend." Schmidt said quietly.

"What are you talking about, Schmidt?"

"You might fool everyone else. But you are not fooling me." Schmidt pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I know you, Nick."

"I still have no clue what you are talking about."

"You damn well know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't insult me here, Nick."

Nick stared at his best friend for over a minute before he averted his gaze to the ground. "I don't wanna talk about it, Schmidt."

"You do remember the 'no nail oath', don't you?"

"Every single second of every freaking hour." Nick exclaimed, jumping up from the bed and Schmidt actually took a step back in surprise when Nick rushed towards him, stopping only shortly before him. "Why do you think I'm trying so hard to not take it any further? Do you think it's easy for me? It's everything I can think about! Every freaking moment of every freaking waking hour! I want her, Schmidt. I want her so much that it hurts."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Nick asked incredulously. "That's all you've got to say? A great friend you are, Schmidt!"

"I think you should go for it."

"What?"

"Nick, you don't only want to nail her." Schmidt elaborated.

"I don't?"

"You are in love with her."

"I'm not ..." Nick started to speak but then he stopped mid-sentence, shooting Schmidt a confused look. Walking back to his bed, he slumped down on the mattress and buried his face in his hands. "I guess I am. What doesn't make the situation any easier."

"Why not?"

"Because there is too much at stake. You know my track record, Schmidt. I can't risk screwing up with her. I can't lose her."

"So you are just ignoring how you feel about her?"

"I have to. She means too much to me." Nick raised his head, searching the eyes of his best friend. "I can't live without her in my life."

"Maybe you should stop torturing yourself then."

"What do you mean?"

"You think having her in your arms every Monday night will make it easier to fight your feelings?" Schmidt asked, shaking his head slightly.

"No. It won't." Nick replied softly.

"So you are gonna stop?"

"No. I can't. Not yet."

~N&J~

"God, stop shifting, Jess." Nick said, his voice hoarse with sleep. "Do you have ants in your pants? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jess replied quietly, putting her leg on the ground. "Sorry I woke you up. I'll better go to bed and ..."

"What did I say about you always taking the warmth with you?" Nick asked, tightening his arm around her, not willing to let her go. He could feel how she stiffened in his arms and her reaction actually cleared his sleep-fogged brain and he pushed himself up, looking down at her.

"Jess, what's wrong?"

Jess turned her head away from him, biting her tongue, tears welling up in her eyes and it took all her strength to hold them back. She'd woken up once again, like all the nights before when she was lying in his arms, staring at his face for over an hour, trying to come to grips with the fact that she was so in love with him that she was willing to torture herself like that. But she couldn't do it anymore. It just freaking hurt too much.

"Jess, would you please talk to me." Nick said softly, pulling her chin around so that she had to face him. "I can't help you when I don't know what's wrong."

"It's you." Jess blurted out, not able to keep her feelings in check anymore.

"Me?" Nick asked surprised. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Jess explained, the urge to touch him overwhelming her and she lifted her hand, her fingers skimming over his scruff as she added. "It's just ... this ... I can't do it anymore, Nick."

"What do you mean?"

"This ..." Jess trailed her hand down his neck, stopping directly above his heart. "It blurs the line too much."

"The line we should never cross?"

"Yes." Jess replied and maybe it was the late hour or maybe she was just not able anymore to keep her heart at bay because the next words out of her mouth were telling him more than he should probably know. "When I wake up in your arms I almost forget that you and I ... that we are not ... sometimes I already lean into you to kiss you, Nick ... I just can't help it."

"Then why don't you do it?" Nick asked softly, throwing all caution out of the window. He'd just woken up and he was too tired to fight his feelings for her.

"Do what?" Jess jerked her head up, staring at him with an utter expression of disbelief on her face.

"Kiss me."

"Kiss you?" Jess' voice broke over the words and he felt her fingers trembling against his chest.

"Yes, kiss me."

"You mean ... you want me to kiss you?"

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, Nick shifted so that she was lying almost underneath him and he raised his hand, brushing his fingers tentatively over her cheek. Her eyes were huge but he couldn't decipher their expression in the dim light and they widened even further as he leaned down, stopping shy of her lips, wanting her to take the last step. If she didn't want to kiss him she could just push him away, and it felt like minutes until he heard a soft sigh and felt her hand curl around his shirt as she lifted her head to close the gap, pressing her lips on his.

Her mouth opened under his and he slipped his tongue into it, meeting hers. It wasn't a passionate kiss, it was more of a soft exploration, both being too afraid to let passion take over. But he could feel her relax in his arms and he deepened the kiss, a shot of electricity rushing through him as her body arched into his.

Wrenching his lips from hers before he would take her right here and there, in the middle of their living room, he leaned his forehead against hers, his fingers skimming over her cheek.

"Where are we going from here?" Her soft voice broke the silence and he leaned back, searching her eyes. "Forward."

"Nick, I'm serious." Jess replied, pushing herself up.

"Me too." Nick told her quietly. "I'm not gonna pretend that this kiss never happened. I'm not gonna pretend kissing you didn't mean something. Because it did. It did mean something. And I want more, Jessica. I want more kisses. I want more of everything. I want to take you to bed. I want to make you scream. I want to make you beg for more. I want to fall asleep with you beside me every night. I want to wake up with you. Have breakfast, lunch, dinner. I want the whole deal, Jess."

"This is a dream, right?"

"Aehm, no." Nick said, being slightly thrown off track by her question. "This is not a dream."

"Then you just really said all of that?" Jess whispered. "The whole making love to me and wanting the whole deal?"

"Yes, I did."

"And I'm not hallucinating or in a coma?"

"As far as I know you're perfectly healthy." Nick told her, furrowing his brows. She was definitely acting weird.

"So, just to be clear." Jess inhaled a deep breath before she continued. "You, Nicholas Miller, want to date me? And not only TWD dates but real dates? You want to be in a relationship with me?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Nick asked confused.

"Just checking."

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes to what?"

"Do you want this?" Nick pointed his finger back and forth between them. "Do you want me?"

"Yes." Jess lifted her hand, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him towards her, her lips pressing a soft kiss against his mouth. "I want you."

"So we are girlfriend and boyfriend now?"

"I guess we are." Jess replied, her voice soft with emotions.

"Then just let's go back to sleep, shall we?" Nick asked, slipping down on the couch, taking her with him so that she was lying against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her as he pulled her closer to his body.

"Great idea." Jess mumbled, threading her fingers through his and snuggling back into his embrace she added softly. "Good night, Nicholas."

"Good night, Jessica."

They would figure it out on the way. He would not screw it up this time. Jess had chosen him. She was his girlfriend now and he would do anything in his powers to make this work because he'd never been more sure in his life that he found the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

**The End**

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**Okay, this is the end of this little ficlet. I will probably write a sequel to this story. Not 100% sure, though. But the summer hiatus isn't that far away anymore and I will have more time to write when it's here. **

**Thank you so much for your support. Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. I'm glad you enjoyed the story!**

**Just to give you an idea, here are the stories that are currently swirling around in my brain:**

**1) Nick and Jess get into a snow storm and their car breaks down and they have to find refuge in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Well, you can imagine what might happen in that cabin. ;-) This would be set Pre-Fluffer. **

**2) AU: Nick actually became a lawyer and meets Jess when a friend ask him to help her out.**

**3) And there is a one-shot that is floating around in my brain for quite some time now: Nick gets shot and his life hangs in the balance. Post-Cooler but before they've admitted they have feelings for each other.**

**You can see I have plenty of ideas for them but I'm always open for suggestions. So, if you would like me to write a special scenario or if you have a preference for one of the story ideas above just tell me. Either PM me here or drop your request in my askbox over on tumblr. **

**See you soon, my fellow roomfriends. ;-)**


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